When animals are affected by conditions or ailments that affect circulation or the ability to contract muscle, there are not many options available for the therapy necessary to decrease healing time. Among these ailments are post-surgical edema, muscle aches and pains, tendon injuries, bone healing and wound healing. Specifically in equine, bucked shins, bowed tendons, laminitis and other leg ailments are common. Many of the same problems occur in humans.
Some devices have been developed that attempt to increase circulation through the use of magnetics, laser light, infrared light and other forms of non-invasive methods. While many animals do not have traumatic reactions to the therapy as they would with more invasive procedures, the safety and efficacy of these products have not been proven.
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is an effective treatment for muscle and circulation disorders and ailments in humans as well as animals. Unfortunately, whereas humans tend to rationalize the immediate discomfort produced by FES in favor of the overall long term benefits, non-human animals are less accommodating. When the sensation of the treatment is introduced, most animals, especially horses, tend to react in unfavorable ways, such as kicking and biting, in an attempt to cause the sensation to cease. The challenge has been to produce a technique that employs FES where the animal will tolerate the higher levels of stimulation necessary to treat effectively the affected area.
When a person sustains a spinal cord injury or stroke, the body is not very good at things like circulation and wound healing. It takes the help of sophisticated technology to replace these functions that were once taken for granted. Surprisingly, there are many similarities to the horse limb. While it is designed for long periods of standing, the horse limb does not deal well with blood circulation. Because of this, a horse is more prone to injury and other ailments in the legs. When an injury occurs, it is difficult to heal.